Friday, January 15, 2010

Back from the homeland

Coming back from a visit in Egypt always makes me feel sad for a few days or weeks even. It's a glimpse into what my life may have been had I grown up there, and it's also a reminder that there's a rich culture there that I am sometimes a stranger to.

Language is a bit of a dead-end at this point, given I wasn't raised speaking the language. So my time there is often spent trying to communicate with my 9 lessons learned from a CD of Egyptian Arabic. This time, proved better than others, but there were still a lot of blank stares. While language is an immediate entry to a culture, so is the food. And this is where I can help out.

The one thing my family did do over the years was maintain the food. I grew up eating all the same delights as cousins and friends did back in Egypt. So my time in Egypt is spent reconnecting via food.

I would like this blog to be about all the different foods that are typical to Egypt. Not the general Middle Eastern cuisine that most are familiar with; but the specific dishes that make the food Egyptian. I want to share all the recipes I have, and I want to learn about all the other ones that are still out there. I will try to break each dish down into easy-to-follow sections, and when possible, offer some of the historical or cultural relevance. Food can tell many stories in one bite.

3 comments:

Exciting, AM! I still remember when you cooked (and I didn't eat) molokhia in London for us. Will check back frequently to make sure you're doing things right (as in, I'll show this post to my mother and have her decide). See you for our next Sequoia outing once you're back!

A refreshing website and one that will be a favourite of mine. Thank you for creating it. I have just returned from a shorter than I wanted trip to Egypt and got hooked on Umm Ali while there. Going to make it today for the first time for my family thanks to your blog.

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About Me

I've always loved to cook and I've always loved learning about my Egyptian heritage. As the first generation born outside of Egypt, my connection to the country has been primarily through food, not language. I created this blog to introduce people to my favourite foods that are found in Egypt, and explain the historical or cultural background of each dish or ingredient. I try to keep each dish simple and not too 'modernized' as I like the traditional approach to cooking. I hope this blog will showcase another aspect of Egypt that is often eclipsed by other Middle Eastern countries in the food department.